The Second China
by MJEG
Summary: Meet Nora. Fifty years old, looks eighteen. Likes to hang around Tanith and Valkyrie when she isn't fighting in the war by their side. Another war against Followers of the Faceless- oh yes, and China. Valkyrie's older, Serpine and Vengous are still alive, just for fun.
1. 1 In the Sanctuary

**China's daughter**

**This is a little idea I had, I'm visualising a 'Primadonna Girl' by Marina and the Diamonds, or maybe someone a little, (lot!) more insecure. Also, it's set in a war, going to change a lot of stuff that happened in the series ;)**

Her footsteps made noises.

Nora walked in the room at her own pace, not slow in a way that suggested frailty, or even difficulty in walking in high-heeled boots. Nora walked with a swagger, sophistication.

In that way, Nora was _exactly_ like her mother.

Nora was tall, six feet or thereabouts, and with heels she looked like a walking target. In Tanith's experience, tall women had lots of grace and strength, but little speed. Nora, however, wasn't like that at all. Her speed made it hard to tell how much strength she had, and not encountering Nora personally, Tanith wasn't quite sure whether Nora had much strength behind her.

Tanith had always been able to tell how China despised her and her 'common brawler's' get up. She also reckoned China would hate her own daughter's clothing.

Nora wore a red shirt with a strange material. With a pang, Tanith realised it was Ghastly's tailoring. Nora wore a dark grey, short cotton jacket, which looked musty and hung slightly askew. Nora wore blue jeans which Tanith thought weren't specifically made for her. Though dressed better than Tanith, Nora was a few more kilometres away from China in matters of dressing.

"How was your mission?" Tanith asked Nora as she plonked herself down in a chair. Tanith was always surprised when Nora did things like that- she looked lady-like, but knowing her, Tanith was aware that looks were deceiving.

"Tiring- Skulduggery only ever supplies half of what we're doing, and when I complain about it-"

"He says you didn't ask."

They both smiled.

"We succeeded, though."

"I always believed in you."

Nora threw Tanith an odd look.

"Before I left, you told Skulduggery to send me back if I did anything suspicious."

"He would have anyway."

Nora sighed. "China makes her own decisions, Tanith. We don't _always_ agree."

Tanith let it sit for a few minutes. When China had left their side for the winning one, Nora had been expected to go with her. They were up against great sorcerers and a long list of followers and Hollow-men, she had to admit. They knew for sure Baron Vengous was on the other side, and there were rumours of Nefarian Serpine returning to the fold, as well as the Children of the Spider, somewhat surprisingly, they usually stuck to the good side, using unorthodox means, but still on their side.

Nora was quite negative, so it was surprising she would stay on a losing side, and neither Tanith nor Valkyrie could fully understand Nora's motives. Whatever they were, Nora was on their side, and Skulduggery, Valkyrie, Dexter, Saracen and even Tanith herself, needed to trust her and appreciate it.

A young operative burst into the room. "There's been a raid!" He shouted, gesturing for them to follow him. Tanith and Nora sprang up and Tanith unsheathed her sword. They all ran up the corridor as the young man continued to explain in a panting rush.

"We suspect there is a spy, they knew when there were the least sorcerers on duty."

"There were still Cleavers on duty, right?" Nora asked.

"Yes," replied the breathless man. He was red-faced and wheezing. "The Bat-men took care of them."

"_What_?" Tanith said as they turned a corner. She heard the sounds of a fight.

"Bat-men, a nickname we use for the Winged Sheeras. They pick up their prey, or predator, and tear them apart. Winged Sheeras feed on flesh, any kind. They have been known to eat Cane Toads, but not often, they're just too small."

"How many are inside?" Nora asked, steering the conversation to a more useful topic. The sounds of fighting became louder.

"None, strangely, they can only live off natural light, sunlight and moonlight. No artificial light. Strange, since bats are nocturnal."

"Yes, _that's_ the strange thing about Bat-men who tear people apart and are helping raid the Sanctuary." Nora said.

The man stopped and Tanith came to an absolute standstill, despite him giving them no warning. Luckily for him, since she was running with a sharp and deadly blade.

The fight looked like it was a third-way through, and already her side was almost defeated. Simultaneously, Nora and Tanith leapt into action. Tanith noted not even half the Sanctuary was here. Probably cowering behind the brave, Tanith thought bitterly as she whipped her blade across a man's arm and followed him as he stumbled away, barely holding her footing amongst the blood and gore that was spread across the floor.

Tanith and her friends were turning back the tide, slowly beating them back, when a large part of the roof caved in. The chunk had been pushed down by the so-called Bat-men, squishing the majority of their people and Tanith saw people start to celebrate, relief in the faces of blood-soaked heroes, but she looked at Skulduggery, his skull was tilted towards the floor.

Tanith followed his eyeless gaze and saw the blood glitter, in the sunlight. Sunlight, Tanith looked at Skulduggery as the Bat-men, the Winged Sheera's streamed in, screeching and swooping.


	2. 2 Meet the Bats

They were much larger than bats, Tanith thought as she rolled under a Winged Sheera, swiping her sword along its underbelly. They were hairy; even their wings were covered in tangled, thick hair. It was acting as a protective layer. Though easily broken, Tanith discovered it was really hard to swipe twice in the same place.

It grabbed her and its claws sunk into her shoulder. Tanith found herself being lifted near the creature's mouth as it flew above the fight. The Bat-man was going to tear her head off. Oh hell, not again.

She tried lifting her sword, but the claws twisted in her shoulder and her arm with the claws in it let go of the sword. Her left arm still held it, but only just. It was impossible to lift. She studied the beast, and saw that it looked humanoid, with long tusklike canines for teeth and pale skin, more tender than a vampire's hide, and almost completely covered in hair.

Its eyes were an odd white and for a moment she wondered if it could see, but then realised it had to. It raised her higher, closer to its open mouth. Tanith's right arm throbbed with intense pain and her left arm's muscles burned with the strain of the sword. She tried lifting it and it reached waist-height before her arm failed and it almost slipped out of her grasp. It was too late; she was going to be eaten alive.

A large flash of light blocked Tanith's view of the Bat-man, and she was glad. Tanith didn't fancy the idea of watching herself being eaten and torn to bloody ribbons. She heard an ear-splitting screech and she flailed, the claws in her shoulder tore themselves out and she fell, screaming. She was sure she was going to die, even though, by some miracle, the monster had released her, Tanith was sure she would be smashed apart when she hit the ground.

Tanith's descent slowed and then stopped. An Elemental must have saved her fall. She saw Nora tapping sigils on her arms, and then expelling light, burning the creatures, both through the light and the energy.

Her eyes drifted over to Valkyrie and Tanith managed a weak smile. Valkyrie wore the usual black clothing, but her coat sleeves were rolled up, revealing superficial cuts on her upper arm. Valkyrie was twenty, and she knew that Valkyrie would stay looking twenty for years, just as Tanith had and would.

Valkyrie saw blood flowing freely from Tanith's wounds, where the creature's talons had pierced her. Valkyrie took off her jacket and wrapped it around Tanith's arm. It didn't change colour against the flow of Tanith's blood, nor did any blood flow through it. That was the power of Bespoke tailoring. A pang went through Tanith when she thought about how, even though Valkyrie had plenty of coats and other magical garments made by Ghastly, there would no more be another made.

Valkyrie picked Tanith up, grunting a little, but trying to hide it. She hid a grin. "You need to work out more, Valkyrie."

"No I don't." Valkyrie started walking, but her movements were rough and she continued to grunt.

"Yes, you do."

"No," Valkyrie insisted. "You need to. You're fat." Valkyrie burst into giggles, which faded into more grunting and, Tanith thought she heard, a little cursing.

"Muscle weighs more than fat. You need to work out." Valkyrie sagged a little, then stumbled, because when she sagged, Tanith's weight was more forward which shifted Valkyrie's balance. Tanith laughed until she passed out, which, because of her blood loss and near death experience, didn't take too long.


	3. 3 Rescue and Recovery

Tanith woke up all at once. She moved her fingers along the sheet of the bed she had been sleeping. In her mind, Tanith tried to remember all the little things, then worked her way up to all the major things that had occurred.

When Tanith felt certain she was aware of what was going on, she opened her eyes. Tanith had started that useful habit in recent years, after a few poisons that played with her mind. All the Sanctuary's Sensitives recommended it.

Tanith glanced up and found a familiar site, a hurried and frantic hospital ward. Her eyes flickered to the seat beside the bed. Tanith thought about how Ghastly had once sat in a similar chair while she regained consciousness and she missed him. In his place was one of her best friends, and almost her oldest one, Nora. Hovering behind her was Valkyrie.

Valkyrie looked torn, and Tanith realised Skulduggery was nowhere to be seen. She sat up too quickly, her shoulder was in a sling and while it was dressed efficiently and with finesse, it was hurried. She groaned and fell back to the bed.

Nora gazed at her, worried. Val reflected the look.

"I'm fine." Tanith assured them. "Just a few grazes- nothing big."

Nora walked over to the board on the end of Tanith's hospital bed and her expression was unreadable.

"Three fragments of talons were removed; they were quite close to the surface of your skin, apparently."

Val was beside Nora. Tanith swore she moved with the speed of a vampire. "We do important work," Val told Nora.

Nora looked surprised. "Of course. My point is- will you stop getting attacked by creatures who try to _rip your head off_?"

Tanith looked quite offended. "The key word here is _try_. They never _succeed_."

Nora rolled her eyes at the way Tanith shrugged off the implication- that Tanith could have died today.

"Where's Skulduggery?"

Valkyrie hesitated. "Last I saw him he had broken his left leg in three places, his left arm was unattached as well as his pride-"

"Is shattered, along with his reputation." They all gave a half-smile. "We can give him some credit," Valkyrie protested. "Almost all of them were after him. It was very-"

"Unfair!" Tanith, remembering her injuries, only craned her neck around to see where Skulduggery's voice had complained from.

He had gotten himself down to them, in a wheelchair, no less. His left arm was reattached, but his left leg was in a cast. Skulduggery was significantly shorter in a wheelchair, and sitting next to Val, it reminded Tanith of when she had first seen them next to each other. Then, Skulduggery had towered over Valkyrie, and, at the moment anyway, Val was much taller than Skulduggery.

While Nora, Skulduggery and Val joked around, Tanith smiled and thought about the affects they had on each other.

Valkyrie had been small and a little unsure, but still just as humorous when Tanith had first met the young girl.

Skulduggery had a lighter mood than when Tanith first met him, though Tanith put that down to Valkyrie, more than anything. Having an apprentice was a good thing for Skulduggery, especially because Val was just as strong, stubborn and capable as him.

Nora had not changed physically since Tanith had first met her, but they were almost like sisters, more so now that China had left. It wasn't always like that.

A mix-up in Sanctuary files had made Tanith and Nora sure they had to bring each other in, and think their partner was Denis Bradley, thief and all-round conman. In the end, he was arrested and put on trial, but Tanith and Nora had almost killed each other before working out his true identity.

A few words from Skulduggery pushed the memories from Tanith's mind. "What?" She said.

"We were going to send out a rescue team today- we suspect Serpine is holding them in a secure location, tonight might be our last chance to help them escape."

"We don't know for sure that Serpine is back," Nora reminded him.

Skulduggery tilted his head. "I have conclusive evidence." He said mysteriously. "Whether Serpine is back or not," Val said, steering the conversation back to relevant waters. "The prisoners need to be freed. We have to go- tonight."

"We don't have enough people to guard the Sanctuary, let alone enough to break into a secure location." Nora argued. Skulduggery inclined his chair a fraction towards Nora. "Send all the Energy-Throwers outside, to guard. The Winged Sheeras will die when exposed to their light. Gather any able-bodied Elementals and get Finbar. I'm not leaving them behind. Are you?" Skulduggery looked at each of them without eyes and then wheeled himself towards a doctor.

Nora pulled a face and plonked herself back down into the chair beside Tanith's bed, then looked at Tanith. "How are you going to come with us tonight?"

"So you're coming?" Val interrupted.

"Yes." Came Nora's grumpy reply. "I'm going. Outmanned, outgunned, outgoing." Tanith smiled at Nora's morbidity and all-round gloominess. The girls looked at her. Nora spoke for both of them. "So, how are you coming?"

Tanith tried sitting up but groaned and fell back to the bed, clutching her shoulder.

"Painkillers," Tanith replied. "Lots of painkillers."


	4. 4 Telling Off and Sneaking In

Val had been grumbling for the last two hours. Normally, Valkyrie was the only one who sulked on these kinds of missions. The kind where you sat around and waited. But, today, she was not alone in her complaints.

Toran Daily, a short and seemingly brave guy, joined in on Val's whinging. "Isn't this boring?" He said. Tanith and, by the way he tilted his head, Skulduggery, really thought Toran liked Valkyrie. Val, though, was oblivious.

"Of course it is. Stop saying it so much." Valkyrie was as frosty and sulky as ever. In fact, it seemed she didn't like a partner in whining.

"Yeah, Weekly." A boy of around eighteen, who Tanith found hilarious, liked to insult Toran Daily. "You've gotta have a reason."

Toran fumed from his spot in the undergrowth of the small forest. Tanith grinned. Kids were funny. Tanith's grin dropped. Dear God, was she _old_?

"It's Daily and you know it, wimp." Toran growled. Tanith was slightly surprised, the eighteen year old, who Tanith realised was Bailey Hover, wasn't wimpy looking.

She threw Skulduggery a confused look and he walked over to where she was. "Wimp," he whispered. "It's supposed to mean someone who isn't as physically fit as you are, or more mentally capable." Tanith nodded and they watched the younger sorcerers squabble. Tanith reckoned both boys liked Valkyrie and she knew what one she would rather Val brought home.

Valkyrie looked at Toran. "Define wimp." Toran blinked. It was in moments like these that Tanith _really_ loved her friend. "A geek. Nerd. Guy or girl who stays up all night on video games. Watches Star Wars and quotes things. Thinks they're better than everyone else. Pick one. They all apply to _him_." Toran curled his lip at Bailey.

Valkyrie leant against the mossy tree behind her. Tanith looked around and saw Nora was standing just behind Toran, and had heard everything he just had said.

"Toran," Valkyrie started. "As well as listening to music and swimming, my mortal life was filled with books. If wimp means nerd and geek, and nerd and geek mean to read books and to generally take an interest in the world, then I'm a geek. I'm a nerd. Tanith, Nora and I watch Star Wars; we play video games on nights off and then take the next day off because we're so tired. And really, when you say stuff like that, it makes me think you think you're better than Bailey, and also me. Did I forget anything?"

Nora walked into their line of view, giving Toran a start. "You did, actually, Valkyrie. I quote things, Toran-the-geek-hater. I love quotes. I love the idea of re-using words; it makes me appreciate how special words can be. 'Never underestimate the power of a well-placed apostrophe.' Toby, from Geek Girl. You can pretty much use, 'To be or not to be, that is the question.' Whenever. 'Are we going to die today?' 'Will we ever escape?' 'Will it ever happen?'

"Smart people or _geeks_ are, in everyday life, shunned by 'popular' people. I wonder if you know the definition of popular, or popularity. Or, better, what people associate with popularity. Exclusivity is associated with popularity. As is superficiality. Popularity is a word that is for a group of people who judge and exclude. Keep your sporty guys; we're quite happy with the geeks."

Skulduggery tilted his head. Both Bailey and Toran looked shocked. Tanith was full of awe for her friends, but also, Tanith felt like she should add to the conversation.

"It's all clear?" Tanith asked Nora, as Toran scowled. Nora nodded, clearly unable to speak after such a long speech. "Let's go."

As they ran to a back entrance of a large, squat building Tanith scanned nearby trees for sentries. She saw a few scorch marks and raised an eyebrow at Nora. "That one saw me." Nora informed her, holding up her nose. Tanith shrugged and scanned the rest of the trees, seeing more scorch marks. "How many saw you?"

"A few more, eventually I just decided to take them all out." Everyone let Tanith through; she put her hand against the lock and twisted her hand until the lock clicked. Tanith tried the handle but there was a dead-bolt.

She looked at Skulduggery, if she kicked open the door, all of the buildings personnel would come running. If they prised off the hinges it would take too long. Skulduggery hesitated and Valkyrie barged through them all.

Anti-climatically, Valkyrie leant against the door and put her hand around shoulder height. "What is she doing?" Toran was obviously still angry about getting owned back there, and Bailey was still grinning about it. "It's from Star Trek." Bailey said, matter-of-factly. "She's telling the door to teleport away."

Shia, a bubbly but gullible girl straightened up. "Really?" Shia asked. "Oh my God, doors can teleport!" Tanith smiled and thought about how much Shia reminded her of Clarabelle, a nice girl who wandered around Kenspeckle Grouse's laboratories.

"Doors cannot teleport!" Toran said sharply and Skulduggery's head snapped to him. "Will you stop complaining?" Skulduggery sighed. "Valkyrie is trying to lift the deadbolt out of the lock. She should be finished by now."

"Hey." Valkyrie said, eyes still closed, her hand moving. Tanith saw a small chain swinging back and forth, the deadbolt. Valkyrie spun around and opened the door.

The door swung open silently, but a great gust of wind went through the building. Skulduggery ushered everyone inside then closed the door, quickly.

"We need to split up. Toran and Shia will go together." Skulduggery told them in a soft voice. Toran looked miserable. "Valkyrie and Bailey can go together." Both Val and Bailey seemed happy with this pairing. "Tanith, Nora and I will go together. If you see Vengous, Serpine or any large amount of opposition, press the red button on these. If you find prisoners, press the green button. If you are dying, scream." Skulduggery handed out devices and kept one for their group.

Everyone nodded and they all went different ways. Skulduggery stopped them after they turned a few corners and put a gloved hand on Nora's shoulder.

"I have to come clean."


End file.
